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Description

If you're a fan of chrome, then this 1956 Buick Special will certainly hold a special appeal. For many, the appeal of the smallest Buick can be explained by its big car comfort and power and Chevy-sized package, making for one formidable factory hot-rod.

The "CMC" paint code on the cowl tag is for the tri-tone combination that was popular on '50s Buicks, sandwiching code M Seminole Red between code C Dover White top and side coves for a truly dazzling effect. No paint job in 1956 ever looked this good, which we can credit to modern paint technology, and the finish will probably look this good for years to come thanks to durable materials. It's clear someone did their homework, because this sucker fits together extremely well. And talk about chrome! That massive grille is composed of dozens of separate pieces, each of which was stripped, polished, plated, and reinstalled to create the grinning countenance that is the Buick front end. Impressive! Of course, it also includes the three "venti-ports" signifying a Special, plus the famous Buick sweep-spear whose shape is still seen in Buicks built today.

The brand-new two-tone interior is nothing short of artwork. GM designers in the '50s were the best in the world, and this car shows you why. The black and red seats are wide and comfortable, of course, with flashy door panels to match and both the carpet and headliner are new. And as long as we're looking at the doors, note how the exterior paint wraps around the door jambs, a sure sign of a high-quality job. The red steering wheel is a nice touch and the wrap-around dash embraces chrome just as much as the front-end of the car does. The gauges are showing a bit of age but they do give you a complete view of the engine and the original Sonomatic AM radio still lives in the center of the dash with that incredibly ornate speaker grille below it. The trunk is obviously quite original, and reproduction trunk mats are widely available, so it would be easy to push it to the next level without a big investment.

Buick's 322 cubic inch "Nailhead" V8 was standard across the line for the first time in 1956, meaning that the Special finally had the horsepower to match its big brothers. Nicely detailed when the car was restored, the engine wears Buick Turquoise paint and a stock air cleaner with a factory 2-barrel carburetor underneath. Still running its original generator, the car sticks to the factory specifications throughout and the radiator up front is new, so it runs nice and cool. Buick's Dynaflow transmission was a bit more sophisticated by 1956, but it's still impossibly smooth out on the road, where speed creeps up on you without anyone noticing. The suspension is commendably supple, and even with drum brakes all around, braking is confident. Optional full wheel covers are a nice upgrade, and it rides on G78-15 wide whites, just as it did when new.

The Special gives you all the style of the Century at a fraction of the price. Like I said, if you like chrome, there aren't many better choices than this. Call today!